FIVE!!!!

It's the night before Grace turns 5 - f i v e!! When did the time move so quickly? I cant believe she's 5 - granted she acts like she's going on 25 - lord help us - but really my baby girl is going to be 5. Before the storm hit, I was trying to get all her old pics uploaded but didnt have them all done before we had to leave - not all her 1st year was on CD. So I'll post the slide show of what I have so that you can see how she's grown over the years! What can I say about my precious Gracie Mae??? She's a tough little cookie! She was born on Sept 24th, 2003 at 8:25 pm. 7 lbs 9 oz and 19 3/4 in long. She was a little doll baby! She gave us some scares during the labor part, she was playing with her cord making her heartrate drop. My doc was funny about it - she said don't worry I'll spank her when she comes out. But after 12 hours of labor there she was - perfect! We have grown up together - truly. I have learned just as much from her as she has from me - and continue to do so. All I have ever wanted for her was to be a good mom - to try to do the best by her at all times. Have I come up short... sometimes - sure we all have. I do not aim for perfection. I do not think there is such a thing as "perfection" in anything. You can always be BETTER! My goal is to strive to be the best mom to her ( and Alex) that I can be - however that may look. What I have seen over the past five years:
smiles of new discovers, cries of worry, giggles of silliness, hugs of love, zoo trips of wonder - remember those ducks who bit her feet, doughnut Sundays with PawPaw - who forgot to wipe away the evidence, playing in boxes, loving the BUBBLE WRAP!, ducks, ducks and more ducks, visits to Virginia, swimming in Aunt Dawn's pools, first night in her own bed - 11 months old - I know right!!, sign language until she realized what her voice was for, her "Gracefulness", ladybugs and Miss Spider, washing the car with Daddy, road trip to NC - long long trip!!!!, John Deere, 2 parties for her 2nd birthday - thanks RITA : ( picking out pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, Old Mac farm, cooking in the kitchen, running from the cats, playing with her cousins, starting daycare - oh the tears mine not hers, singing Brown eyed Gurl - i know it's Girl but that's not how she says it!, "That not dood", learning to ride a bike - one word duck tape, ice cream and Kayci, Ringling Brothers, Halloween as an angel but telling people she was the tooth fairy - she couldn't remember - so funny!, dancing as a duck, bear, bride, clown and alien, learning she was going to be a big sister, seeing her eyes light up around Alex, going to Daddy's work, starting PreK, learning about God - so many questions - my fave is the one about what God sounds like - off track but so worth it
One day Grace wanted to know what God's voice sounded like. I told her that I thought His voice sounds different to different people (safe answer right??) So I asked - what does it sound like to you?? Thinking maybe she'd say the wind or a bird or bear???? NO! She said "Well, when I pray to God and ask Him to clean my room, he doesn't talk to me OR clean my room!"
that's the kind of stuff she comes up with - see why she's just so cuddly cute! I could go on and on about the joy, love and excitement she has brought to my life - but I will end with this. I knew I was meant to be a mother, my whole life - and God made it possible for her to be my gift. She is my saving Grace! When you have a baby people always say... You just wait, things are going to change once that baby comes. They are right! I don't know why I always thought it was a bad thing. She has changed my life. I am a better person for having and knowing her! Our family would not be the same without that wonderful little girl laying next to me right now - no power all sleeping in living room lol!
So I am grateful and honored to be the mother of Miss Virginia Grace. She challenges me, educates me and loves me to the moon and back!